Getting Ready for the FABexpo

Well, this is the weekend prior to the FICPA’s FABexpo.  This is my 38th show as an FICPA staff member.  There have only been 39 shows and I attended the first one with my father and I think it is safe to say that I’m the only one who has been to every show.

Even with all of the similarities, each one of these shows have been unique.  With 60+ speakers and topics each show, I have to admit, I can’t remember them all although some are oh so memorable (Barbara Bush, Lou Holtz, Stuart Varney).  The impact of weather from hurricanes on several of the Ft. Lauderdale shows stick out.  This year, the memory will certainly be on Robert “Bob” Harris, a former FICPA president and incoming chair of the AICPA (the first AICPA chair from Florida).  Also it will stand out because it will be our last show at the Gaylord Palms.  After many many years in Orlando, we will return to Tampa in 2010.

Some of the speakers and topics will stand out this year as a transition from old to new.  XBRL is required now for many companies and certainly the future of financial reporting is in XBRL.  Tom Oschenschlager will update everyone on the tax changes under the new administration.  The form 990 changed for the first time in over 30 years, so an update from Charles Whetstone will be of interest to anyone with working for a nonprofit or with nonprofit clients.  And finally, fair value seems to be in the press on a daily basis with changes proposed by banks, insurance companies and others as politics and accounting standards clash.

XBRL Issues and Application
Neal Hannon, CMA
Consultant, XBRL Strategies / Gilbane Group

Tax Law Update
Tom Ochsenschlager
Vice President – Taxation / AICPA

Understanding the New 990 – Changes Needed in Accounting Information Systems
Charles Whetstone, CPA
Audit Partner / Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC

Economic Update
Mark Vitner, MBA
Managing Director & Senior Economist / Wachovia Corporation

Fair Value Accounting – General Methodology

Morrie Hollander, CPA Partner, Anthony R. Banks, CPA Manager, Marta Alfonso, CPA/CFF Partner

Rachlin LLP

For complete details on the FICPA’s FABexpo see www.ficpa.org/fabexpo and follow us on twitter at @ficpa or @ned_c and the hashtag #fabexpo.

Remembering Italy

I had an opportunity today to have lunch with a long time friend, Keith. He was in Tallahassee for work this week and we took the opportunity to get together and catch up from the past two years.

We were able to catch up on our families, mutual friends and big trips we’ve both been on since we last saw each other. Keith took his family to Alaska to sleep with the bears! He has a history with the wilds and bears of Alaska as he spent a summer as a ranger in the Wood Tikchik State Park.

I reminisced about my trip with Lisa to Italy in 2006. We spend two weeks in Italy visiting Piacenza, Florence, Siena and Rome. By far it was the best time of my life.  We went to her best friends wedding.  Steve and Mari were married in Piacenza, Italy. 

It was nice to see Keith and catch up on our lives.

Site Visit to the Greenbrier

2008 09 08_0957.jpg

Originally uploaded by Ned Campbell

Here is a photo of the north entrance from the Greenbrier, one of the most wonderful hotels in the United States.

I was lucky enough to visit the Greenbrier on a brief site inspection prior to taking the FICPA membership there in June 2009. The hotel is incredible! With a glorious history and the once dark secret of a bunker to house the US government in case of nuclear war with Russia.

The hotel still sticks to the old south traditions with dressing for dinner and the wonderful “sleepy time” signs throughout the hotel from 8pm to 8 am.

Lisa at the British Museum

DSC00224

Originally uploaded by Ned Campbell

This evening, Lisa went to the British Museum. In the picture, she is outside the building and it looks SO neat! I’m so jealous of her six week adventure in London. Especially all of the time she is able to spend exploring London and the surrounding areas.

I am so proud of her, she has really adjusted well to being in one of the world’s largest cities all by herself.

Lisa in London

Originally uploaded by Ned Campbell

Here is a photo from Lisa’s trip. She said all of the houses have great gardens around them no matter how nice or shabby…the gardens are always great. Lisa arrived back in London tonight and will be updating her blog tomorrow night after she goes to the Michael Palin Centre for the first day of work.

You can read all about her trip on her blog at http://lisalondon08.blogspot.com/

I’m so jealous of this adventure.

Lisa is getting ready to leave

Well, Lisa is getting ready to go to London for six weeks. She has been packing her stuff for days and getting ready for this trip for months.  However, the sad thing is - it is finally time for her to leave on Tuesday morning.  I’m excited for her to experience London for the summer and get the training she will at the Michael Palin Centre and the Oxford Dysfluency Conference (Oxford virtual tour at St. Catherine’s College) but I can’t wait for her to return.

We are ready to communicate while she is away, even with a five hour time difference, we have webcams, IM, a digital camera, video camera and email.  Lisa created her own blog http://lisalondon08.blogspot.com so she can communicate with everyone – family, friends and students. 

As prepared as we are for her being away I’m already counting down the days until she returns to Tallahassee.  Good luck Lisa and come home soon.

 

After the show

Another show is done!  The FICPA FABexpo is finished for 2008 and none too soon…older staff (like me) were really tired, our legs and feet were shot.

The show went great; all of the speakers were there except for one and he was replaced with another fantastic speaker already on-site.  The comments were great from the participants.  A few negative comments on the new electronic manuals and the parking, but that was to be expected.  This is the first year for electronic manuals and overall the comments have been extremely positive.  The fact is, you can save the e-manual on your computer and you can search the entire text for words of interest.  Far better than the printed manual for most people.  The parking, well there isn’t much to say – it costs $7 (actually $14 per day) but the FICPA pays for 50% of the fee.

Everyone loved Lou Holtz, the keynote speaker.  Coach Holtz talked about winning and having the proper attitude to do so.  He was really great and delivered an inspired speech.  Coach was great and spent time with our volunteer leadership, asking them about the CPA profession. He was really great with the details on our group.  In addition to Coach Holtz and 60 other speakers, we held an A&A track that covered the most recent accounting topics including IFRS and XBRL.  These are two new topics for our membership and will be covered at great length in the coming months and years.

Showtime…

Here it is, the week of Memorial Day again, and I just checked into the Gaylord Palms Resort for the FABexpo.  The Gaylord is great as always, the service superb and the location just what we need.  Of course the entire week is about work and there isn’t any time to go to the pool, bars, restaurants and the other Orlando sites but it is a great place to work.

It is an interesting program.  A total of 22 staff attending the show to manage the CPE, exhibitors, FICPA booth and meetings galore for 800+ CPAs and 300+ exhibitors.  This year Lou Holtz, legendary football coach will be the keynote speaker.  Members and staff can’t wait to hear one of the best motivational speakers of our time address the group on achieving your maximum potential.

Monday, the first night only 5 of the staff are here so we will be ready to unload, setup, and meet with hotel early Tuesday morning (after the wonderful breakfast buffet Villa de Flora).  There is a lot more to tell about this event and if there is time, I will share stories and photos from the site.  Lisa, Mike, Michael, Brenda and me (plus Lisa) were all there to enjoy Sunset Sam’s for dinner on Memorial Day.

The rest of the week will be very busy with start times between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and ending each day after 11 p.m.  Registration should be much easier this year since we changed to electronic manuals and small booklets are distributed on-site instead of over a dozen manuals. It will be interesting to see what our members think of this change.  Many members have indicated that they like the new concept because it will allow them to search the manuals and therefore they will be more useful.  Only time will tell if the general membership takes to this new idea.